How did the language and selection of
images in the coverage create a particular representation of young
people?
I believe that the
language employed and the selections of images have represented young people in
a negative way. This is the case as it as if the police where the victims of
riots and the young people were to blame.
Why does David
Buckingham mention Owen Jones and his work Chavs: the demonisation of the
working class?
I believe that David
Buckingham mention Owen Jones due to the fact that the group in the riots were actually working class who have been
portrayed in the a negative light.
What is the typical representation of
young people – and teenage boys in particular? What did the 2005 IPSOS/MORI
survey find?
The 2005 IPSOS/MORI
survey showcases that 40% of newspaper articles featuring young people focused
on violence, crime oranti-social behaviour;
71% could be described
as having a negative tone.
How can Stanley Cohen’s work on Moral
Panic be linked to the coverage of the riots?
One way in which
Stanley Cohens work on Moral Panic can be linked due to the fact that the media
always tries to produce scary stories and create a sense moral panic making the
viewers worried.
The word 'anarchy'
showcases this.
What elements of the media and popular
culture were blamed for the riots?
I believe that there
were some newspapers in which blamed popular culture such as music and video
games in particular rap music. The Mail Online blamed rap music, which
glorifies violence and loathing of authority.
How was social media blamed for the
riots? What was interesting about the discussion of social media when compared
to the Arab Spring in 2011?
Through the course of
the riots social media sites such as Facebook were blamed for giving th rioters
the license and freedom to communicate and plan where they would riot again. This
is evident in the Arab spring’s protests as these protests would never happen
if there wasn’t any social media.
The riots generated a huge amount of comment
and opinion - both in mainstream and social media. How can the two-step flow
theory be linked to the coverage of the riots?
The step flow model
can be applied to social media in the sense that opinion leaders like celebrities
Politicians were saying the media; still following their partisan ideologies
would reiterate this on their front pages to their audiences
Alternatively, how might media scholars
like Henry Jenkins view the 'tsunami' of blogs, forums and social media
comments? Do you agree that this shows the democratisation of the media?
I believe that media
scholars such as Henry Jenkins thrive over these types of stories. This is due
to the fact of the benefits of user- generated content. This is the case as it
allows people to challenge views and ideologies in the media.
What were the
right-wing responses to the causes of the riots?
I believe that the
right wing responses blame the young adults for the London riots. This is perhaps
due to their political views.
What were the left-wing responses to the
causes of the riots?
I believe that the
left wing are most likely to be more understanding and sympathetic towards the
young people due to the fact there was a reason to the London riots due to
their feeling of injustice from the police.
What are your OWN views on the main
causes of the riots?
I personally believe that
the protests started due to the young people feeling of injustice from the
police for the handling of the mark dugon situation. They people the excuse to
loot and destroy things with the majority of people not caring about the
initial cause of the protests in Tottenham.
What is your own opinion on the riots? Do
you have sympathy with those involved or do you believe strong prison sentences
are the right approach to prevent such events happening in future?
I personally believe
that it was a bit unfair that only some were sentenced even though there was
many more. I believe that the young people weren’t really fighting for the
actual cause as they used it is an excuse to loot.
